Space saving display carton



Aug. 3, 1965 c. w. LINDGREN SPACE SAVING DISPLAY CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1963 FIG].

C. WALTER L l BY W,Z w*YM His 51' TORNEYS Aug. 3, 1965 Filed Aug. 13, 1965 C. W. LINDGREN SPACE SAVING DISPLAY CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR C. WALgER LINDGREN;

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H IS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,198,344 SPACE SAVING DISPLAY CARTON Carl Walter Lindgren, Murray Hill, N.J., assignor to Thomas J. Lipton, Inc., I-Ioboken, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 301,800 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 211-88) This invention relates to improvements in display devices, and more particularly, to an improved device for displaying articles from price channels on supermarket shelves and the like.

Because of the abundance of consumer goods being offered to the public at this time, sharp competition exists among distributors of foodstuffs and the like for prominent shelf and display space. The present invention makes available additional choice market display space, and provides an attractive device to arrest the attention of prospective purchasers.

According to the present invention, a display device is provided for attachment to price channels, such as those found on the forward margin of shelves in grocery stores, supermarkets and the like, comprising a receptacle, such as a cardboard carton, for supporting an array of articles for display or sale. The receptacle has a generally vertical back surface from which clips protrude to attach the device to the price channel. A horizontal bottom surface extends forwardly from the back surface, away from the price channel, to provide a support for the display.

More particularly, the clips are resilient members which can be snapped into the recesses formed by the inwardly converging flanges found on most price channels. The 1 clips can also have a portion extending downwardly through the receptacle to provide additional support for the bottom surface, and to anchor the clip to the carton. The top and other visible sides of the carton can, of course, be suitably decorated with appropriate advertising literature or the like.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in Which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the display device attached to a price channel, shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the display device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the display device shown in FIGURE 1; and 1 FIGURE 4 is a perspective view in phantom section of the display device shown in FIGURE 1 with the top of the display device removed.

In accordance with the invention, a display device such as a carton or box shown in FIGURE 1, arranged and constructed to be attached to a price channel 11, which may be of any conventional type secured by screws or the like to the forwardly protruding margin of a merchandise shelf, of the type frequently used in retail stores. The display device 10 is illustrated as being a carton 12 of a generally rectangular prismatic shape and formed of cardboard, or some similar material, adapted to support articles such as packages of instant tea, for sale and display.

A tear strip (not shown), formed in a front surface 13 of the carton 12 can be torn along a score line 14 from the front surface 13 to expose articles for display arranged within the carton 12, as shown in FIGURE 1. A top cover 15 is hinged to a back surface 16 of the container 12 by a scored line 17. A scored fold line 18 is also formed in the top cover 15 to permit the top cover to be folded vertically into the same plane as the back surface 16 and provide an additional display surface, as shown in FIGURES '1 and 2. Sides 19 and 20, and a bottom sur- 3,198,344 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 Fee face 21, as shown in FIGURE 4, complete the structure of the carton 12.

Apertures 22 and 23 formed near the vertical edges of the back surface 16 of the carton 12, and apertures 24 and 25 each formed near a respective side edge of the bottom surface 21, cooperate with a pair of support arms 26 and 27. The arms 26 and 27 have shank portions 23 and 23 protruding downwardly into the carton 12 through the respective, cooperating sets of apertures 22 and 24 and 23 and 25, in the back and bottom surfaces 16 and 21. The lower ends of the arms 26 and 27 terminate in support portions 30 and 31 adapted to extend diagonally under the bottom surface 21 of the carton 12 to form acute angles with the side and back edges of the bottom surface. Loop-like clips 32 and 33 on the arms 26 and 27 are exposed at the back surface 16 of the container 12, adjacent to the apertures 22 and 23, to engage within the recesses formed by the inwardly converging flanges of the price channel 11.

The clips 32 and 33 are formed in an open loop by bending, or similarly twisting, the arms 26 and 27, formed of steel wire or a similar material, into a generally trapezoidal shape. Ends 34 and 35 and the lower portions 36 and 37 of the clips 32 and 33 may be compressed manually to permit the clips to be inserted within the recesses formed by the inwardly converging flanges of the price channels. After insertion, the lower portions 36 and 37 of the clips 32 and 33 spring back to engage the clips with the flanges of the price channel 11 to hold the carton 12 securely in place.

In operation, the tear strip is manually removed from the front surface 13 of the carton 12 which may contain an array of merchandise for display and sale. By removing the tear strip a downwardly disposed lip 38, which cooperatively engages the top cover 15 over the articles for display, is exposed.

The top cover 15 may be torn from the back surface 16 along the scored line 17 to more fully expose the display within the carton 12, and prevent articles on the shelf behind the price channel 11 from being concealed from the view of prospective purchasers. However, the top cover 15, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, may be upfolded along the scored fold line 18 in substantially the same vertical plane as the back surface 16 to provide an attractive additional display surface.

The clips are then snapped into the price channel 11 as disclosed above. The display device 10 may be removed f-rom the price channel by squeezing the clips 32 and 33 and withdrawing them from the price channel 11.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the present invention provides a display device which increases the merchandise shelf space available to distributors and retail merchandisers, and moreover, provides an attractive devise fordrawing the attention of prospective purchasers to articles being displayed.

While a representative embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustration, various changes and modifications can be.

made therein as pointed out above without departing from the principles of this invention. Therefore, all such changes and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A display device for price channels, comprising a container for supporting articles therewithin having a vertical back having apertures adjacent to opposite vertical side edges of said back, a bottom extending forwardly from the back of said container, said bottom having apertures formed adjacent to its opposite horizontal side edges between the front and back edges of said bottom,

'on each of said supporting members for engaging the price channels and supporting said container therefrom.

2. A display device according to claim 1 including a resilient member in each of said clip means, said members each forming an acute angle with the horizontal for releasable engagement within the price channels.

3. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the arm portions on each of said support members are inclined at an acute angle to the back and bottom of said container.

4. A display device according to claim 1 wherein said compressible clip means are disposed at about the top edge of said back.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,925,523 9/33 Cuff et a1 21l88 2,300,692 11/42 Olsen 248309 2,812,852 11/57 Samuels 211-88 X 10 2,850,820 9/58 Lersch 248302 X FOREIGN PATENTS 624,300 11/42 Canada.

5 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR PRICE CHANNELS, COMPRISING A CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES THEREWITHIN HAVING A VERTICAL BACK HAVING APERTURES ADJACENT TO OPPOSITE VERTICAL SIDE EDGES OF SAID BACK, A BOTTOM EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE BACK OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID BOTTOM HAVING APERTURES FORMED ADJACENT TO ITS OPPOSITE HORIZONTAL SIDE EDGES BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BACK EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM, AT LEAST TWO SUPPORT MEMBERS, AN ARM PORTION ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARDLY THROUGH THE APERTURES IN SAID BACK AND BOTTOM AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ACROSS AND BENEATH SAID BOTTOM TOWARD THE FRONT EDGE THEREOF, AND COMPRESSIBLE CLIP MEANS ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS FOR ENGAGING THE PRICE CHANNELS AND SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINER THEREFROM. 